You know, when I first moved to NYC back in August 2006 ... I had a serious misconception of "The City". You see, I moved from Alaska when I was 18yo to Irvine, California to attend the University of California, Irvine. After graduation in June 2002 I went to work and stayed in Irvine and then moved to Westminster a couple of years later. During these formative years of mine, I spent many a nights watching "Sex and the City". It was so much fun to watch Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda walk on the streets, party like rockstars and put on haute couture dresses while wearing high-end stilettos, a la Manolos and Louboutins. I was in love with the city and I wanted to live their "fabulous" lifestyle. So when the opportunity to move to NYC came along (my ex-company promoted me), I jumped on the chance!
When I moved to the city, my work quadrupled and I spent most of my time on the road. I was barely in the city and I felt that I was paying an overly exorbitant price for storage space which is what my apartment had quickly become seeing as I was living out of my suitcase and hotel rooms for the most of my first year. I traveled so much that I quickly became burnt out and eventually I quit my lucrative position in exchange to be a paralegal who worked 60+ hours/week on a salary half of what I was making in the medical devices world. But I wasn't complaining. Why you ask? Because I was actually spending time in the city. For the first year in the city, when people would ask me how I was enjoying the city, I really couldn't give them an answer. I didn't know. I never spent any time in the city, how was I to know if I was really enjoying the city or not? Additionally, I had become increasingly unhappy (even though I had my pup, Ronny, and he's excellent company) because I had no friends. I couldnt' even make any friends because I was never here to build a friendship. Building a friendship takes time and effort and I had no time to give, even if I wanted to put forth the effort. Of course, now I'm just poor and struggling like a good portion of the city's population. I can't afford to live on my own anymore and I have a roommate now in a tiny apartment that was perfect for one person and a dog ... but for 2 people and 2 dogs ... it's getting crowded. Life in the city isn't as fabulous as it seems on Sex and the City unless you have a ton of money or live in a rent controlled apartment. But you can't happen upon rent controlled apartments anymore. It's unfortunate and the landlords are greedy, greedy, greedy! They already charge too much for the real estate that's offered in their apartments and they continue to raise rent yearly. But your experience is what you make of it. I may be struggling, instead of being on cruise control (which is where I would be if I was still in California today), but I've made new friends, experienced new things, lived in a new city and I'm building character. I know I won't be able to leave here for some time ... but when I get back to California, I will not only have a new appreciation for California (and believe me, how I do miss it!), I think I will have a new love and appreciation for the people and the culture that is New York City.
Why am I talking about this you might be wondering? Well since we were talking about origins ... I might as well blog about how I got here in the first place. My friend also asked me the other day what made me decide to move to NYC when I had the perfect life in California. What would make me uproot my life and want to come to a city that I had no friends in and was totally foreign just to struggle? The answer ... Sex and the City. It was a fantasy move that was promptly shattered when I finally was able to live in the city... but instead of a fantasy, I found something else here. I've been exploring all of the outer boroughs and each of their nuances and cultures and I've been pleasantly surprised. I always thought New Yorkers were angry ... but I've found much more than that. Surprisingly, there are far more genuine people I'm friends with here than in California. I still love California though and that's where I'm going to be eventually, but when I move I'm taking the best part of NYC with me to Cali... my friends. *^_^*
1 comment:
Interesting. I never knew this. So does this mean the adventure has been enjoyable on the whole? I find myself asking if my adventures are enjoyable lately. Seems like you, most of my time is spent working and not having the time or ability to enjoy the journey.
I wonder if anything actually works out according to plan... :-/ Well at least MY plan. Then again I guess if things always went according to my plan, I'd be screwed - cause I usually don't have a plan. Anyway, just a little random thought as I sit here at the bus stop waiting to go to work (cause Cali hasn't figured out how to make a transit system worth a crap).
As always, I remain-
JK Brown
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